Join me as I chat with Hunter Isaacson, a successful mobile app builder who has created apps with hundreds of millions of downloads. Hunter shares his playbook for building million-dollar mobile apps, emphasizing the importance of simple experiences, strong branding, and creating effective growth loops. He discusses how to identify opportunities by adapting existing ideas to new channels and technologies.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
01:56 – Examples of Viral Consumer Apps
04:35 – Hallow Deep dive
10:14 – Locket Deep dive
13:51 – NGL’s Deep Dive
15:08 – Don’t reinvent the wheel
17:27 – Hunter’s $1M/Month App Playbook
21:28 – Building a Brand People Love
24:44 – Creating a simple experience
25:26 – The importance of core action and North Star Metric
26:33 – How to create growth loops
31:28 – Additional Good Practices
33:13 – Opportunities in AI-enhanced app experiences
36:38 – Future technology trends Hunter is excited about
Key Points:
• Hunter Isaacson shares his framework for building successful mobile apps, including NGL (250M downloads) and Bags
• The importance of creating simple experiences with strong branding that people can understand and resonate with
• How to identify core metrics and growth loops that drive user engagement and viral sharing
• Leveraging new platform features (like widgets, live activities) to create innovative app experiences
1) Hunter’s framework for building viral, profitable apps is SURPRISINGLY simple:
• Build a brand people love
• Create a simple experience
• Get users on quickly (even just 100)
• Select ONE core action
• Maximize % of users completing that action
Let’s dive deeper…
2) On building a BRAND PEOPLE LOVE:
"Keep it short and find a slang term" – Hunter’s secret sauce for naming apps.
NGL = "not gonna lie" (obvious to Gen Z)
BAGS = crypto slang for holdings
The best names are OBVIOUS, resonate with your audience, and set the right vibe.
3) Creating a SIMPLE EXPERIENCE is crucial!
Hunter designs ALL his apps himself (started with PowerPoint, now Figma)
His approach: "What’s the bare bones MVP that solves the problem?"
Don’t overcomplicate. ONE user flow is better than branching journeys.
4) The NORTH STAR METRIC changes everything.
For each app, Hunter picks ONE metric that matters above all:
• Wink: % of users getting a match on day 1
• NGL: % sharing link + replies
• BAGS: % funding account + making first trade
Aim for 90%+ completion!
5) GROWTH HACK: Build sharing into your core experience!
"If you drop in 1000 people and 50% share, that’s 500 people who’ve now shared your app"
Hunter spent less than $10K marketing NGL to get 250M downloads!
The key? Seed it just enough to activate the viral loop.
6) You DON’T need to reinvent the wheel!
Hunter on NGL: "Anonymous messaging apps have been around forever"
The innovation? Using Instagram’s new link feature as a growth channel.
Look for EXISTING IDEAS that could work in NEW CHANNELS.
7) On SEEDING your app:
• Test content formats before launch
• Work with creators in different niches
• Pay small amounts ($50-100) to influencers
• Look for that ONE viral video to ignite growth
• Build an authentic voice on social
8) TRENDS to watch according to Hunter:
• Live Activities on iPhone (underutilized)
• Lock screen widgets (not fully explored)
• AI + consumer apps (CalAI’s approach)
• Crypto going mainstream
• AR glasses (future)
Massive opportunities in each!
9) For YOUNG FOUNDERS, Hunter recommends:
"Take a lot of swings. Have a lot of at-bats."
Consumer mobile apps over B2B/SaaS when starting out:
• More fun
• Reach global audience
• Better psychology understanding
• Tools getting better every day
Notable Quotes:
"I think that it’s more about looking for frameworks than it is for looking for ideas. The framework, I feel like, is more important because now it’s really easy to just framework X with audience Y." – Hunter Isaacson
"You don’t really need to reinvent the wheel… it’s a new channel, right? If anonymous messaging has worked on the internet, it’s worked on apps, it’s worked on different platforms, why wouldn’t it work with Instagram as the growth lever?" – Hunter Isaacson
LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future – from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn ‘what if’ into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/
BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/
BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/
Startup Empire – a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co
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FIND HUNTER ON SOCIAL
X/Twitter: https://x.com/hunterjisaacson
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunterjisaacson/
